How to identify and get rid of brown house moths

Have you ever opened an old book, shaken out a seldom-used blanket, or peeked into your pantry and found a tiny moth fluttering out? If it's a brown house moth, you've just met one of the most common fabric pests in homes.

They have an appetite for a wide variety of items in your home, from cereals and dried fruit in your cabinets to furniture fabric, book bindings, and wine bottle corks.

The caterpillars do all the chewing and eating. They can infest homes and other commercial buildings, making a mess of natural fibers or materials. However, they don’t digest or eat synthetic fibers, so there is some hope to reduce this pest in homes.

Brown house moths rely on human activity for their success and don’t often thrive outside of homes and commercial buildings. They spread through hitchhiking on materials or infested food to make their way into homes or buildings. In nature, they are found in animal nests, more often in bird’s nests.

Brown house moths are small, light brown moths often speckled with darker brown spots, a pattern that helps them blend into their surroundings. You might recognize them by their narrow wings, which they hold flat over their bodies like a tent when resting. If you’re finding holes in natural fiber clothing, carpets or spotting larvae—which look like small, creamy caterpillars—around these items, it could be a sign that you have a brown house moth infestation.

How big are brown house moths?

Adults have a wingspan of about ½ - 1 inch.

What other pest looks like a brown house moth?

Small brown moths that get into your home can all look alike. However, clothes moths look very similar and do the same type of damage to your fabrics. However, brown house moths are typically larger and darker than the more uniformly pale clothes moths. Either way, the treatment for both moths is similar. It’s not necessary to distinguish between the two.

Brown house moths are found throughout the United States, thriving particularly in homes with available food sources and nesting spots.

They are commonly found in dark, undisturbed areas like closets, pantries, and attics, where they can feed on stored fabrics, dried foods, and paper products.

Brown house moths can be a pain to deal with. They can ruin expensive fabrics, furniture, or clothing if left unchecked. Luckily, there are a few ways to treat and prevent brown house moths:

• Proper storage: Store clothes and dry foods in tightly sealed containers to prevent access.
• Cleanliness: Regular vacuuming and cleaning of storage areas help remove potential food sources and larvae.
• Temperature control: Freezing infested items for a couple of weeks or heating them in a hot dryer can kill larvae and eggs.
• Traps: Pheromone traps can attract and capture adult males, reducing the breeding population.

Unfortunately, brown house moths, their eggs and larvae can linger for a long time in a home. It’s important to stay diligent when storing natural fibers and materials.